Dihydroisotanshinone I

Dihydroisotanshinone I is a bioactive compound present in a widely used traditional Chinese medicine named danshen.

Dihydroisotanshinone I can inhibit the migration of both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. Dihydroisotanshinone diminishes the ability of prostate cancer cells to recruit macrophages and reduces the secretion of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) from both macrophages and prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. It inhibits the protein expression of p-STAT3 and decreases the translocation of STAT3 into nuclear chromatin. It also suppresses the expression of tumor epithelial-mesenchymal transition genes, including RhoA and SNAI1[1]. Pretreating the cells with dihydroisotanshinone I at concentrations ranging from 2.5 μM to 20 μM for 24 hours cause dose-dependent protection against hepatotoxicity induced by menadione. Adding dihydroisotanshinone I to freshly isolated hepatocytes at concentrations between 50 nM to 200 nM inhibit NADH-induced superoxide production dose-dependently[2].

[1]. Wu CY, et al. Anti-cancer effect of danshen and dihydroisotanshinone I on prostate cancer: targeting the crosstalk between macrophages and cancer cells via inhibition of the STAT3/CCL2 signaling pathway. Oncotarget. 2017 Feb 1. [2]. Ip SP, et al. Dihydroisotanshinone I protects against menadione-induced toxicity in a primary culture of rat hepatocytes. Planta Med. 2002 Dec;68(12):1077-81.